Plough girls
July 27th 2009 07:59
No way I would ask my daughter to do this, but then I'm not a farmer in India experiencing drought. Still, it seems a bit extreme.
The monsoons are desperately late in the state of Bihar — India's 12th largest state by size and third largest by population — and the farmers have turned to trusted, ancient, weird measures.
Step 1: They ask their daughters to take off all their clothes.
Step 2: They ask their daughters to plough the fields.
Only unmarried daughters take part, and the ploughing takes place after dark, accompanied by the chanting of ancient hymns. The belief is that the weather gods will be embarrassed into sending the rains.
According to one village official, "This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."
India has this year suffered its worst monsoon delays for 80 years. But I'm not sending my daughter to help.
news.com.au
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